This may be a stupid post, but i'm curious if anyone has any information i can use.
I'm leaning toward going to a language based school for a year and a half before applying to a regular university. That way i can avoid the problems caused by the difference in semester starts and what not. Also i hear that this looks better when applying.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this or knows someone who has done this.

one of my best friends, who was in my army unit back in the day, married a japanese girl and lived in the states.. their family had no sons, so, one day he decides he is going to change his name to the family name of his spouse (to continue their family) he gives up his US citizenship and starts working on becomeing a Japanese citizen. The sad thing is even when it is all said and done, his children will be more Japanese citizen that he will ever be considered, even though he is continuing a Japanese family name.

chiisu321 wrote:
This may be a stupid post, but i'm curious if anyone has any information i can use.
I'm leaning toward going to a language based school for a year and a half before applying to a regular university. That way i can avoid the problems caused by the difference in semester starts and what not. Also i hear that this looks better when applying.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this or knows someone who has done this.

I think it depends on three things, visa, price, and quality of instruction. The last one is probably the most difficult to find information on. I applied at Keio because my college sensei taught at the Keio Foreign Language program. She also helped me look for other schools since it is difficult to get into that program. I got in, but I got my job here, first. (This looks good for a "bittersweet" smiley.)

I think it depends on three things, visa, price, and quality of instruction. The last one is probably the most difficult to find information on. I applied at Keio because my college sensei taught at the Keio Foreign Language program. She also helped me look for other schools since it is difficult to get into that program. I got in, but I got my job here, first. (This looks good for a "bittersweet" smiley.)

Would you recommend Keio's program, though it is hard to get into? What other schools did you look at with your teacher?

Where is here?

Quality would be most important. It figures it would be most difficult, but that is why i asked. I've heard complaints about some places, but nothing in particular about any other.

According to some, a visa isn't incredibly difficult to get as long as you go about it the right way. As for price i'm not concerned at this time.
I want to have a list of good programs before i look at prices or anything.

chiisu321 wrote:
Would you recommend Keio's program, though it is hard to get into? What other schools did you look at with your teacher?

Where is here?

Quality would be most important. It figures it would be most difficult, but that is why i asked. I've heard complaints about some places, but nothing in particular about any other.

According to some, a visa isn't incredibly difficult to get as long as you go about it the right way. As for price i'm not concerned at this time.
I want to have a list of good programs before i look at prices or anything.

Well, visa is the first thing I mention because some of the non-university English schools don't offer them. They just have classes for three months (the length of an American tourist visa). I feel the same way about quality as you do. That's why I never ended up applying at any of the other schools. As for Keio, I taught at an Eikaiwa across the street from their Hiyoshi campus and lived across the street from their Mita campus. So I actually used to teach their students (and some of the parents and teachers, too) and I knew that my students who went to Keio seemed to be much better students, on average, than others. The fact that my Sensei taught there and the fact that all of these circumstances were purely coincidental led me to believe that it was karma that I should apply there and be a student. I was heartbroken when my girlfriend called to tell me I got in. I had signed a lease for my new apartment in DC the day before. Fate is messing with me.

Anyway, I don't remember what the other schools were that she recommended. Most of them were Japanese universities. The only name I remember off the top of my head is Waseda since it's also a good school (Keio's rival, if I'm correct) but their deadline had passed when I was applying. (Keio also had a program starting in Sept. -- some schools also have fall or winter programs, but many schools only start in April.) My suggestion to you would be to talk to the Japanese language instructors at the Universities near you because they will know best. There should also be people in the Asian Studies Departments who can help. Also, check affiliate programs for other universities in the states. They don't need to be "The Japanese Campus" like Temple's, but many universities have programs connected to other Japanese schools. Well, good luck in your search!

Last edited by Shibakoen on Wed 09.06.2006 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yes and no. If you marry a Japanese citizen, you can apply for a spouse visa. It isn't exactly citizenship, but you can live in Japan until the day you die and you get all the same benefits as a Japanese person (except I think you can't vote, and you have to pay taxes to both countries).

When you apply for your spouse visa you have to prove that you got married because you really love each other and not because you wanted a visa. You have to provide proof that you've been together for a considerable amount of time and a few other things.

Is there no way to become a citizen? I'm quite happy to get married in Japan and so on (not as a desperate attempt for the visa of course) but I want to be proud of the fact that I am a Japanese citizen. Is there really no way for gainjin to overcome this? Even those who can prove their nationalism?

This is a bit of an eye-opener. After reading all of that it makes me think what college life and my life after that would be. I still have to take into account other factors that might affect my decision of staying in Japan after college. I'll just have to see if it's the place I want to be in when I stay there for one month next summer. I'm just lucky having relatives there allow me to visit Japan. If I like it there I might just pray that I get hired as a chef there specializing in international cuisine. After all... I really want to become a chef. I'll just be looking for other ways to get to Japan. That "going to a Japan to study" might not make me successful or might even ruin my future... Besides, look at the brightside, many Japanese do not know English and there are so many other reasons to celebrate not being a Japanese. I have goals... but I'll just keep them to myself this time.

EDIT: BTW, thanks as well to those people who posted here.

Last edited by Ratzenheich on Mon 09.11.2006 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.